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'No make-up selfies' have now prompted £2 million to be donated to Cancer Research UK.

The internet craze, which has gained momentum on social media in the UK in the last week, involves women taking photographs of themselves without make-up, posting them online, making a donation to charity and nominating others to do the same.

Other cancer charities have also seen a rise in donations following the campaign.

On Thursday Cancer Research UK revealed they had received £1 million in donations off the back of the trend in just 24 hours. Today they tweeted:

More than 14 million people around the world are diagnosed with cancer every year, according to global data published by Cancer Research UK.

Men are almost a quarter more likely to be diagnosed with the disease than women.

More than 14 million people around the world are diagnosed with cancer every year. Credit: Press Association

Nick Ormiston-Smith at Cancer Research UK said: "The contrast in cancer death rates between the sexes may be down to more men being diagnosed with types of cancers that are harder to treat, such as cancers of the bladder, liver, lung and oesophagus.

"Cancer is estimated to account for around 16 percent of all deaths worldwide. Age is the biggest risk factor for most cancers and, as global life-expectancy increases, we'll see more people being diagnosed with the disease. But lifestyle also plays an important role.

"Worldwide, tobacco consumption has been responsible for an estimated 100 million deaths in the last century and, if current trends continue, it will kill 1,000 million in the 21st century.

"Smoking is by far the most important preventable cause of cancer in the world."

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Men are 50 percent more likely to die from cancer than women, according to new global statistics.

Data published by Cancer Research UK shows more than 4.6 million men die from the disease every year across the globe.

Men are 50 percent more likely to die from cancer than women, according to new global statistics. Credit: PA Wire

This compares to around 3.5 million women who die from the disease. Central and eastern Europe are the regions where men are most likely to die compared to women, whereas East Africa has the highest death rates for women.It is one of the few regions where rates for women are higher than for men.

In the UK, there is also a stark difference, previously reported, which shows men are 30 percent more likely to die than women.There are 126.05 cancer deaths per 100,000 men in the UK, compared to 97.28 per 100,000 women.

This is one of the lowest differences seen in Europe but still represents a sizeable inequality. The four biggest cancer killers worldwide are of the lung, liver, stomach and bowel.

Most patients want doctors to check if they have cancer, even if there is only a 1% chance. Credit: PA

At least 88% of the 3,649 people who were quizzed by scientists from Bristol University, the University of Exeter Medical School and the University of Cambridge, said they wanted doctors to investigate their symptoms further.

The participants, all over 40, said they wanted further tests done even if there was only a 1% chance of having cancer.

There are no fixed thresholds in the UK, but in practice, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines suggest patients need to have symptoms which indicate a five per cent risk or higher before further tests for most cancers are carried out.

Dr Jonathan Banks, of Bristol University, said: "This large study provides a clear and comprehensive account of public preference for investigation for cancer."

A new genetic test has been developed that can distinguish the most aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

The test will help doctors tell apart slow-growing and aggressive cancers, enabling them to respond with the most appropriate treatments.

A testicular cancer tumour, seen under a microscope inside a testis. The tumour is between 10 and 30 years of age. Credit: ITV News

One of the biggest problems involved in treating prostate cancer is knowing what kind of disease a patient has. The new Prolaris test measures the activity of genes that drive cell division and provides a Cell Cycle Progression (CCP) score.

A one unit increase in CCP score was found roughly to double the risk of prostate cancer death or recurrence. The test should eventually mean that doctors will not have to "overtreat" patients with strong, debilitating drugs. Professor Jack Cuzick, the study author from University of London said:

"Over-treatment of prostate cancer is a serious issue so it's essential that we have an accurate way of spotting those cancers that pose an immediate risk. For patients with slow-growing tumours, it's far safer and kinder to watch and wait - only acting if the situation starts to change.

"We've shown this test is accurate at telling apart these two different tumour types at many different stages of treatment. [...]

"We want to try and shorten the time it takes to get the results and establish how frequently the test needs to be done in order to be most effective at spotting any changes."

Early diagnosis and screening is a crucial tool in the fight against cancer and makes a significant difference to survival rates of all types of cancer, the chief executive of Cancer Research UK said.

Cancer Research UK Harpal Kumar with Lawrence McGinty at the National Cancer Research Institute conference in Liverpool Credit: ITV news

In an interview with Science and Medical Editor Lawrence McGinty, Harpal Kumar said:

"Early diagnosis is incredibly important for cancer, and it is true that it is important across just about every type of cancer.

"We know that for the vast majority of cases, the earlier we detect it, the greater the chances of successful treatment, and often for the patient, must less gruelling treatment, so it really can make an enormous difference."